


Now is the Hour

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-11-22
Updated: 2008-11-22
Packaged: 2019-05-30 09:58:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15094373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: Josh wanders through the White House during the last days of the Bartlet administration.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

“Come in, come in,” Bartlet encouraged. “Don’t just stand there. What can I do for you?”

“I’ve been visiting with CJ, doing some last minute negotiations with the Inauguration. I thought I’d take the chance to come and say goodbye.”

“Goodbye? But I’ll see you at the Inauguration.”

“Yes sir but you and I both know how crazy it can get and we probably won’t have a chance to…”Josh broke off and looked out the window.

“Say anything meaningful,” Bartlet interrupted.

“Yes sir. Maybe I’m getting sentimental in my middle age but I wanted to meet with you here.”

“In the Oval, for old time’s sake?”

”Something like that, sir” Josh agreed.

“’*Getting* sentimental’?” Bartlet questioned. “Josh, I hate to break it to you but you were always sentimental.”

“Sir?”

“Well at least with those you care about. You went to California to bring Sam in as your deputy. You could’ve just picked up the phone! I also remember a little Christmas shopping we did together. You bought a rather expensive book for someone special. And let’s not forget shall we, a certain Madison High School teacher you thought you’d bring to my attention. Hmph! Of course you’re sentimental!” Bartlet’s eyes twinkled.

He saw he’d made Josh feel a little uncomfortable. “Relax, son. I’m only teasing you.” But he wasn’t about to stop. “How’s married life treating you?”

Josh spluttered. “Married? Sir, I’m not, we’re not…I think someone’s led you astray.”

“Really? You’re not married? You could’ve fooled me. Abbey and I were sure you’ve been married all these years.” Josh just shook his head in amazement.

In a more serious tone, the President continued. “You’ve given up a lot for me and this administration. Don’t think I didn’t notice. Don’t waste anymore time. Time is precious.”

“Yes sir. Anyway, I just wanted to spend a few minutes to say goodbye properly. It’s been an honour and a privilege to serve you. I can’t imagine ever again having such a positive work environment.”

“You’ll change your mind in a few months,” Bartlet replied.

“No sir, I don’t think so,” he looked at him steadfastly. “It was the team we had, it was special.”

“Yes Josh it was. But you’ll build a new team. It won’t be the same but it’ll be good. You’ve got good people working for you. Give them their head from time to time and see where they’ll take you. You led me to appoint Evelyn Lang. Inspirational, Josh.”

Josh restrained the urge to tell him just where the inspiration had come from.

“You did good work Josh, thank you,” Bartlet offered Josh his hand. As they shook hands they both realized one era had ended, another had begun and the baton had been passed.


	2. Chapter 2

Josh continued wandering the halls. There really wasn’t much to do before tomorrow. He may as well enjoy the quiet because once they were in the White House, the crazy pace that he knew so well was only going to start again. Of course this time it would be, he hoped, very different. Those crazy hours would be tempered by a home life that he marveled meant more to him than he realized. He’d always known that if he and Donna ever got their act together, she would be his priority. But he still had a bit of trouble recognizing “this” Josh. This was a Josh who came home at a reasonable time, who loved nothing more than a night at home with his woman and felt very secure in his partnership with Donna.

Josh was unknowingly smiling to himself as he literally ran into Charlie, exiting his office.

“Whoa, sorry man.”

“No, my fault. You think I’d have learned long ago that these doors have a habit of springing surprises,” Josh consoled the young man in front of him.

“Dreaming about redecorating plans,” Charlie thumbed in the direction of CJ’s office.

“Hmm, maybe. Listen, when are you coming over for dinner? I’m under orders to invite you next time I see you,” Josh changed the subject.

Charlie tried to hide his smile. “Under orders? Interesting to see who wears the pants in your household,” he teased.

Josh returned his smile. “Was there ever any doubt?”

“Nah, we just like to let you think you’re in charge. Makes life easier on all of us!”

The two men looked at each other. The other didn’t know it but each was lost in a memory – a memory of the men they were when they first met.

“You coming to the Balls?” Josh asked.

“I don’t think so. Too many memories. I don’t really feel I belong anymore.”

“Yeah,” Josh responded thoughtfully.

“Josh, I just want to thank you. Without you, I doubt I’d be where I am today. I just want to…” his voice faded away, choked with emotion.

Josh reached over and clapped Charlie on the back. “I saw something special in you and you never let me down. I should be thanking you. You proved my gut instinct was right,” he smiled.

Charlie smiled in gratitude and then a shadow fell across his face. In that moment Josh knew what Charlie was going to say and he would have loved to have stopped him. But some things just needed to be said.

“I…I just wanted to say ‘Sorry’ for what happened. You have no idea how guilty I felt that you were shot with bullet meant for me. You could have died and it would have been because of me.”

Josh heard the emotion in Charlie’s voice. This was some thing Charlie would have to live with his whole life. He’d moved on but it would always be lingering in his sub conscious. Josh, more than anyone, understood what Charlie was going through.

“It was NEVER your fault, you hear me. You are not responsible for the actions of mad men. I didn’t die, I’m still annoying everyone near and dear and if I hear you utter crap like that again I’ll round up guys from your old neighbourhood to remind you of what trouble really looks like.”

“You’d show your Jewish white ass in my old neighbourhood? You’re a bigger fool than I thought,” Charlie grinned at his friend.

“Hey, I could take ‘em!”

“You really couldn’t.”

“No, I couldn’t,” Josh sighed in defeat as he walked off. Looking back over his shoulder he said to Charlie “Don’t wait too long for Zoey. I almost lost the most precious gift. Take my dating advice.”

“Oh God,” Charlie groaned as he watched Josh saunter down the corridor.

Another turn and another memory. Everywhere Josh looked there was a room he could conjure up a photo album of memories. Late night discussions with Sam and Toby, CJ singing in the halls, a fanatical Star trek fan, an intern that irritated the hell out of him, the list could go on.

He heard a noise coming from the briefing room. He saw CJ standing behind the podium, delivering a mock press briefing. She was good. She’d always been good.

“And for next number I’d like to dedicate a song to the best stand in I ever had, Joshua Lyman.”

Ok, he’d been busted. CJ always knew if someone came into the briefing room and her time away from the podium had done nothing to dull her senses.

“I was memorable,” Josh laughed.

“That’s one word for it,” CJ responded dryly.

“Well people still talk about my secret plan therefore my press briefing was memorable.”

”Ah, the Lyman logic! Ok, you were memorable.” CJ pacified him “What are you still doing here?”

“Reliving the glory days, just like you.”

“We certainly had some good times.”

”We had some bad ones too but I’m not focusing on those today. But sometimes I think you were a little uncomfortable with some of the decisions this administration made.”

CJ looked wary. “Like what?”

“Like the assassination of Sharif,” Josh challenged.

“Yeah, that was a difficult one. There were a few others too but we did a lot of good.”

”Yes, we did and you’ll do well in your new job,’ he reassured her.

CJ hugged this man who had infuriated her, challenged her and amazed her with his political mind.

“Remember, if ever you’re in California…” she let the sentence remain unfinished.

Josh nodded. CJ linked her arm with his and they walked out of the room. As he began to walk away she spoke “One more thing, mi amore. If you ever hurt that lady of yours I’m gonna come back and shove a mother board so far up your…”

He laughed in memory of that rather scary CJ! “Thanks for the reminder but I don’t think I’ll be needing you.”

“I don’t think you’ll have much trouble at all. You two are perfect for each other. Always were. Just a damned shame so much time was wasted before you got your collective heads out of your asses.”

“Isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black?” Josh asked.

CJ smiled. “Yes, I suppose it is. I’d better clear out of memory lane and get back to my office. I’ll see you before I leave?”

“Of course.” And Josh and CJ headed off in different directions.


	3. Chapter 3

The rumbling of his stomach reminded him he hadn’t eaten much that day so he headed in the direction of the Mess. Maybe he could get some fries or a cup of coffee at least. He turned around from the counter to see Will and Kate sharing a table. Will saw him and waved him over “Josh, come join us.”

Josh had nothing against either of them but seeing Will was a reminder of a time in his life that wasn’t all a bed of roses. Still, it would have been rude to decline so he carried his tray over and sat down.

“Hey Josh, how’s it going? You must be excited about tomorrow?” Kate asked.

“Sure. Who wouldn’t be?”

“You’ve been to 2 others. They don’t lose their appeal?’

“Nah, this one is different. It’ll be special.”

“It’s a great day for you too, a reward of sorts. You got Santos elected,” Will said. 

Josh was uncomfortable with the attention being on him rather than the President. “Yeah, I guess. It’ll be nice to take Donna to the Balls, drink champagne and have a dance or two”

“Sounds like the last Inaugural,” Will teased. He’d been a witness to one of the more obvious times in the soap opera that was Josh’n’Donna. He’d been new and didn’t understand the dynamic between these two but it was very clear they had a bond. The tension radiating off both of them was incredible!

Josh deflected this conversation. “So Will, what does the future hold for you?”

“There’s a Congressional district in Oregon that I’m going to have a crack at,” Will said.

“Really? That’s gonna be a tough one to win,”

“I know but I like being the underdog.”

“Yeah,” Josh looked at Will carefully. At times Will’s professional decisions had left Josh confused.

“Well, good luck. Let us know if there is anything we can do to help.” Josh offered his hand to Will in a gesture of good faith. He looked over at Kate. They had never been particularly close – she’d been a Johnny-come-lately to the Bartlet team. 

“What about you? Are you going to Oregon too?” he asked. Josh had heard that Will and Kate had started a relationship. But when he saw them exchange a look he knew he’d said something he shouldn’t!

“Actually, no. I think I’m gonna hang around here for awhile,” she replied.

“The excitement of DC too difficult to leave behind?”

“No,” she answered seriously. Kate had never displayed much of a sense of humour.

Josh really didn’t have much to say to either of them so he got up from his chair. “Good luck to both of you,” he said and began to walk away. He heard footsteps behind him and turned to face Will. 

“You and I were becoming friends and I upped and left to work for Russell. Then I gave Donna a job and used her against you. I think I got a bit dazzled by the bright lights of federal politics. I wasn’t always proud of things I said and did. I just wanted to say that if ever you need a bad cop for your good cop, then give me a call,” Will smiled at Josh.

Josh took Wills words for what they were – an olive branch.

“Sure thing! But I won’t need you tomorrow night. Donna’s already agreed to be my date for the Balls!”

“Well, since the two of you are now co-habitating, I would have been surprised if she was going with someone else. Just keep it in mind for the future.”

With that Josh left Will and Kate behind.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Josh was almost finished. He was feeling quite nostalgic. There were two places he hadn’t revisited but somehow he couldn’t bring himself to do it, not alone. As if by magic, he heard her voice behind him.

“Josh, I thought you were only going to be here for ½ hour. That was 2 hours ago!”

He turned to see the one person who was missing from his journey through time. 

“Thank God you are here. Walk with me,” he demanded.

“Where?” Donna asked as she fell into step along side of him.

“Oh, you know, around.” He waved his hand in the air.

And so they set off for one final walk and talk through the halls they’d covered so often, this time at as somewhat more sedate pace. Josh, his hands in his pockets, was lost in thought.

As they walked past what had been her desk, Josh stopped and turned to face Donna. He put both hands up to cup her face and he gently kissed her, brushing his lips once, twice across hers. He pulled back and smiled. “God, the amount of times I wanted to do that here!” Josh smirked.

Donna wound her arms around his neck and resting her head on his shoulder, looked up at him. “Really?”

“Yes,” Josh started to count them. “When you tricked me with the NSA guy who wanted to pull your credentials, when you told me I liked everybody, the time you located the light switch, talk of tough love.”

“Ok steady on, I get the idea” Donna laughed. “C’mon. One more place to visit before we go home,” and Donna led him in the direction of his old office.

“Wait, this is Cliff’s office now and somehow it seems…weird.”

“Cliff is all packed up and moved out. It’s quite safe. It’s been debugged of all things Cliff,” Donna teased. She knew Josh couldn’t help but see the triangle they’d once been caught in and he tried not to think about it. 

“Are you sure? I don’t want to encounter any ‘Cliff vibe” in there,” he said as he followed Donna into what he still regarded as his office.

“Josh,” Donna admonished. “There are only two people in this room, you and I. Now close the door and get over here!”

He closed the door and turned back to see Donna sitting in his chair, feet up on the desk exposing her long legs as she had done once before when they’d had lunch in here not long after Rosslyn. But this time she undone the top couple of buttons on her blouse, revealing the mounds of her breasts encased in pale pink lace.

“Now here’s a fantasy fulfilled,” Josh managed to speak although his mouth was dry.

“Really ? Me too,” Donna confessed.

“Yeah? When did you find you wanted to do this the most?”

”The nights.”

“The nights?”

”Yes, those nights when we’d be working late and I’d watch you at your desk, sleeves rolled up, only a desk lamp providing the light and you concentrating so hard on trying to do something good, the time you told me about Blind Willie Johnson’s music going into space, the time you gave me the Social Studies text book, the time you teased me about my Christmas present, the times I tied your bow ties – will I go on?”

“No! I get the picture – you pretty much wanted to jump me in this office from day 1,” Josh laughed.

“Pretty much,” Donna shrugged in response.

“Just for the record, can I say ‘Ditto’? The time you told me you wouldn’t stop for red lights, your ‘what a shame’ file, your concern for a bird’s beak, after the filibuster and…when you tied my bow ties. Seems we were on the same page and just didn’t know it.”

“Josh, lock the door,” Donna’s sensual voice left him with no doubt of what she had in mind.

“Donna, much as I would love to…in here…but it’s the White House. What if someone comes in?”

“That’s why I suggested locking the door, boy genius!” By now Donna was practically crawling across the desk to get to him. Josh gulped. In one swift movement he’d locked the door and then locked his lips on to Donna’s. He entwined his hands in her hair and used his mouth to kiss her lips, neck, collarbone and anywhere else he could access. Donna moaned her appreciation of what he was doing and pulled at his shirt, releasing it from his pants. She put her hands under his shirt and ran them up his back muscles. They’d soon divested each other of their shirts and it was getting very heated very quickly. The thrill of illicit sex in Josh’s old office was a real turn on and neither Josh nor Donna was having any trouble getting aroused. Simultaneously, Donna unzipped Josh’s pants and reached into release him as he hiked her skirt up, cupped her ass, slid her closer and pushed her underwear to one side. He quickly entered her and they began the time old movements that ended in both of them shouting their release, muffling the sound in each others shoulder. Donna unlocked her legs from behind Josh’s standing form and he slumped over her and the desk.

“Wow, that was…”

“Fast and furious?” Donna offered.

“Hmm. I can’t believe we just had a quickie in here,” Josh said in amazement. 

“Then I think you should take me home and make sweet, slow love to your woman. This was the preview, let’s take the main event to our bedroom.’

“I love the way you think,” Josh said as he zipped himself up.

They straightened their clothes, unlocked the door and walked out, hand in hand. They didn’t see President Bartlet standing to one side. He couldn’t help but notice Donna’s slightly mussed hair and the part of Josh’s shirt not quite tucked in properly. It was clear Josh had said his goodbyes and was now heading to the next chapter of his life!


End file.
